October 31, 2015

Oct. 31

October 31, 2015:  Saturday, 30th week, Ordinary Time




  • 'Classroom' tie:  Blessed those you teach, Lord (psalm)
  • 'Girl with heart' pin:  Judgment shall be with justice, and the upright of heart shall follow it. (psalm)
  • 'Silverware' tie bar:  Jesus dined at a Pharisee's house... (gospel)
  • 'Eyeball' pin:  ...and they were observing him carefully (gospel)
  • Green shirt:  Ordinary Time season


Listen

 Pope Francis
Friday homily:  God shows compassion for each of us and all humanity; he sent his son to heal, regenerate, and renew the human race.  In the Prodigal Son parable, when the father, the figure of a forgiving God, sees his son, he feels compassion.  God’s compassion isn’t about pity.  I can feel pity for a dying dog, but God’s compassion is empathizing with another's problem or situation.
Jesus healed people but isn't a healer.  No; he healed as a sign of God’s compassion, to save people, to bring back the lost sheep.  God loves each of us like a Father.  And he forgives like a Father, not a court official who reads a verdict.  He forgives from his heart because he loves.
Jesus was sent to bring good news, to free the oppressed, and to enter each of us, to free us from our sins and evil.  A priest feels empathy towards others and becomes involved in people's life, like Jesus.  We criticize priests who aren't interested in what's happening to those in their congregation, who don’t care about them; they're not good priests!  A good priest gets involved in human problems.
To Christian Union of Italian Business Executives:  Your emphasis on Christian formation and training, mainly through deepening of Church social teaching, is noble.  Keep balance between work and family life.  A company and executive office can become places of holiness, through commitment to build fraternal relations, co-responsibility, and collaboration in the common interest.
The call to be missionaries in the complex world of labor, economics, and business involves being open and close to diverse situations such as poverty.  Women in the workplace face special challenges; how often is one let go because she's pregnant?
Put the Jubilee of Mercy into practice by increasing sharing and solidarity.  Direct economic activity in service of people and the common good.  Cooperate to grow an entrepreneurial spirit of subsidiarity, deal with ethical challenges, and create good employment opportunities.  Engage together; it'll bear fruit to the extent that the Gospel is alive in your hearts, minds, and actions.
 Read

  • Rom 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29  Has God rejected his people?  No!  Through their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles.  A hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the Gentiles come in; thus all Israel will be saved.  God's gifts and call are irrevocable.
  • Ps 94:12-13a, 14-15, 17-18  "The Lord will not abandon his people."  Blessed those you teach by your law, Lord.  The Lord won't cast off his people; judgment shall be with justice, and the upright shall follow it.  Lord, your mercy sustains me.
  • Lk 14:1, 7-11  On a sabbath Jesus dined at a Pharisee's home, and they observed him carefully.  “Don't recline in the place of honor; the host may ask you to yield your spot to a more distinguished guest, and you'd be embarrassed.  No; take the lowest place, so the host will say, ‘Friend, move up higher,’ and you'll enjoy your companions' esteem.  Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Reflect
    • Creighton:  The Chosen People awaited their Messiah's coming, but they weren't all ready when Christ came.  Jesus saw how they did everything for show and judged others, blind to their self-satisfaction and hunger for status.  His suggestion to start humbly upsets the convention.  His suggestion is ironic, unlikely to lead his hearers to change heart.  But if one passes from literal to figurative (humility as starting point for honor in God's Kingdom), the door of transformation opens.  There one finds the meek, the pure, and honor from service.
      Humility...
    • One Bread One Body:  "Trying every possible means":  "God attached so much importance to salvation that he didn't spare his own son.  Nor does he cease to work, trying every means until he's raised us to himself" (St. John Chrysostom).  The Lord uses every means to call us; e.g., through the Jews' "transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles."  Because the Lord wants all saved, he wants to bring us to conversion through everything in our lives.  List 3 significant events of this week. Ask the Spirit to show you how God is using them to lead you to deeper conversion....
    • Passionist:  Today's psalm, "The Lord will not cast off his people" / "Your mercy sustains me," echoes Paul's "Has God rejected his people?  No!" /  "God's call and gifts are irrevocable."  By humbling/emptying yourself, you become more open to God’s call; God has room to fill you!  What do I need to let go of?
    • DailyScripture.net:  "He who exalts himself will be humbled":  Jesus reinforces Proverbs:  "Don't put yourself forward... or stand in the place of the great; for it's better to be told, 'Come up here,' than to be put lower."  Humility isn't feeling bad about yourself, or thinking yourself inferior; it doesn't focus attention on yourself but frees you from preoccupation with yourself.  Humility is truth in self-understanding and action. Viewing ourselves truthfully is seeing ourselves the way God sees us.  Humility frees us to be our true selves without despair or pride; the humble don't have to wear masks and aren't swayed by fame, reputation, success, or failure.  Humility is the foundation of the other virtues because it enables us to view ourselves correctly; it leads to self-knowledge, honesty, realism, strength, and dedication to something greater than ourselves and frees us to love and serve others for their sake, rather than our own....
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